Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, January 10
Buffalo, N.Y.
11 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Buffalo Diving Invite
Photo by: Alex Paslawski
Dive Prepares for UB Diving Invite
1/8/2025 3:37:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The meet will run Friday-Sunday at the Dorsi Raynolds Pool in Buffalo, N.Y.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The divers of the Eastern Michigan University swim & dive team are set to compete for the first time in 2025 at the UB Diving Invite, hosted by the University at Buffalo, at the Alumni Arena Natatorium & Dorsi Raynolds Pool Friday-Sunday, Jan. 10-12.
The meet will start at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday and begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Outside of the Bulls, the Eagles will compete against diving teams from Akron, Duquesne, and Ohio. Friday will start the invite with the three-meter dive, Saturday's action will consist of the one-meter dive, and Sunday's will entail the platform dive, which the Eagles have yet to compete in this season. The top-12 divers from the preliminary rounds will advance to the finals in each event.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live results for each day can be accessed here. Fans can access Friday's live stream of the meet here and Saturday's stream here. Stay posted EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with full results attached following each day of competition. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for EMU swim & dive content.
LAST TIME AT UB DIVING INVITE
Last season at the UB Diving Invite, the Eagles placed four student-athletes in the top-10 standings in both the one-meter and three-meter dive. Ciara Wheeler (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) led the team in the one-meter, placing fourth with 256.25 points. Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline) paced the Eagles in the three-meter, finishing fifth with a score of 280.15 points. There was no team scoring at the meet.
LAST TIME OUT: VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
The divers last competed against Oakland, Nov. 21, a meet that resulted in a 161-139 win for the Eagles and elevated their record to 3-1 on the season. Malia Maire (San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo) led the Green and White with a personal-best 270.45 points in the one-meter for a second-place finish. She was followed by Knapp in third (267.00), and freshman Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson) in fourth (245.93). Knapp led the way in the three-meter, placing first with 317.25. Maire slotted second with 258.83, while Wheeler (252.53) and Speier followed in fourth and fifth, respectively. Overall, Eastern divers secured 23 of the 37 diving points in the win. Additionally, Knapp's 267.00 performance in the one-meter was good enough for an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut, her second of the season as she also qualified in the three-meter with a score of 317.25.
Previously Noted
DIVER OF THE WEEK
Knapp was named MAC Co-Diver of the Week, Nov. 27. The award marks her second of the season and third of her career. She earned the award earlier this season, Oct. 23, after achieving her three-meter NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a personal-best 317.25 score, finishing first in a win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18.
Against Oakland, Nov. 21, Knapp earned her second first-place finish of the season in the three-meter dive, tying a personal-best with a score of 317.25 in the Eagles' 161-139 win. Her score ranks as the second best in the conference thus far according to Swim Cloud. She went on to place third in the one-meter dive with a score of 267.00, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. Overall, Knapp led all Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
VS. INDIANA STATE, NOV. 9
The Eagles fell in their home-opener against Indiana State, 187-113, Nov. 9. In the pool, Eastern was led by Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), who finished in first-place in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:04.50, and second in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.51. Both marked personal-bests for the freshman. On the boards, Maire paced the Green and White, winning the three-meter dive with a season-best 266.93 points and placing third in the one-meter with a personal-best 256.88 points. Sophomore Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King's Academy) also swam a lifetime-best in the 100-yard butterfly, touching the wall in 56.16.
AT BUFFALO, OCT. 26
The Eagles escaped enemy territory with a 149.5-148.5 win over Buffalo, Oct. 26. In the pool, they were led by Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East), who swept both breaststroke events, winning the 100-yard in 1:04.12, shaving one second off her previous season-fastest time (1:05.12), and the 200-yard in 2:20.13. The senior went on to improve her time in the 200-yard IM, touching the wall in 2:10.05 compared to her 2:11.32 she swam against Cleveland State, Oct. 18. On the boards, Wheeler led the team with a fourth-place outing in the one-meter dive as she posted 251.85 points in the six-dive format.
BIG SEASON-OPENING WIN
The Eagles opened the season with a 190-108 win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18. The win marked the largest margin of victory (82 points) in a season-opening victory in the Perkins Era. The win also went down as his fourth win to start a season in his six years at the helm of the program. Six Eagles won multiple events, as the team won nine of the 12 individual swimming events in the meet, and 12-of-16 total events.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Perkins. Overall, Perkins holds a 12-19 record, and 9-10 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition. The program has seen 64 Academic All-MAC selections and four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America teams.
THE SEASON AHEAD
Eastern is set to compete in nine regular season meets in 2024-25, culminating in the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. The Eagles will attend meets in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington.
TOM GIMM – HEAD DIVING COACH
Perkins announced the hiring of Tom Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. He brings extensive club coaching experience and has also coached in the MAC, as he served as the Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016-18. Gimm most recently served as the Head Diving Coach/Director of Diving Operations for Moss Farms Diving, a junior diving powerhouse with a state-of-the-art facility in Moultrie, Ga. Most recently, his Flying Tigers placed second in the 2024 USA Diving Zone B Championships held at the Moss Farms Diving Facility. Gimm also coached high school standout Tuck Gregory to a Georgia High School Association Individual State Championship in 2024.
RETURNERS/NEWCOMERS
This year's Eagles team returns 23 letterwinners from the 2023-24 squad, and welcome nine newcomers to the team, all of which are freshmen, including Riess Estep (Smyrna, Ga./Whitefield Academy), Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary), Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre), Speier, Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by Knapp who earned a second-place finish in the three-meter dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a score of 301.15.
MAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL
In a poll with the MAC's eight head coaches, the Eagles' team was picked to finish sixth in the MAC standings for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
UP NEXT
Both the swim and dive portion of the Eagles' team will compete together for the first time in 2025 as they are set to host Toledo at Jones Natatorium Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
The meet will start at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday and begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Outside of the Bulls, the Eagles will compete against diving teams from Akron, Duquesne, and Ohio. Friday will start the invite with the three-meter dive, Saturday's action will consist of the one-meter dive, and Sunday's will entail the platform dive, which the Eagles have yet to compete in this season. The top-12 divers from the preliminary rounds will advance to the finals in each event.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live results for each day can be accessed here. Fans can access Friday's live stream of the meet here and Saturday's stream here. Stay posted EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with full results attached following each day of competition. Also, stay tuned to the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook for EMU swim & dive content.
LAST TIME AT UB DIVING INVITE
Last season at the UB Diving Invite, the Eagles placed four student-athletes in the top-10 standings in both the one-meter and three-meter dive. Ciara Wheeler (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) led the team in the one-meter, placing fourth with 256.25 points. Rebekah Knapp (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline) paced the Eagles in the three-meter, finishing fifth with a score of 280.15 points. There was no team scoring at the meet.
LAST TIME OUT: VS. OAKLAND, NOV. 21
The divers last competed against Oakland, Nov. 21, a meet that resulted in a 161-139 win for the Eagles and elevated their record to 3-1 on the season. Malia Maire (San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo) led the Green and White with a personal-best 270.45 points in the one-meter for a second-place finish. She was followed by Knapp in third (267.00), and freshman Taityn Speier (Fairfax, Va./WT Woodson) in fourth (245.93). Knapp led the way in the three-meter, placing first with 317.25. Maire slotted second with 258.83, while Wheeler (252.53) and Speier followed in fourth and fifth, respectively. Overall, Eastern divers secured 23 of the 37 diving points in the win. Additionally, Knapp's 267.00 performance in the one-meter was good enough for an NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut, her second of the season as she also qualified in the three-meter with a score of 317.25.
Previously Noted
DIVER OF THE WEEK
Knapp was named MAC Co-Diver of the Week, Nov. 27. The award marks her second of the season and third of her career. She earned the award earlier this season, Oct. 23, after achieving her three-meter NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut with a personal-best 317.25 score, finishing first in a win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18.
Against Oakland, Nov. 21, Knapp earned her second first-place finish of the season in the three-meter dive, tying a personal-best with a score of 317.25 in the Eagles' 161-139 win. Her score ranks as the second best in the conference thus far according to Swim Cloud. She went on to place third in the one-meter dive with a score of 267.00, earning her second NCAA Zone Diving Championships cut of the season. Overall, Knapp led all Eastern divers with 12 points in the meet.
VS. INDIANA STATE, NOV. 9
The Eagles fell in their home-opener against Indiana State, 187-113, Nov. 9. In the pool, Eastern was led by Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), who finished in first-place in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:04.50, and second in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.51. Both marked personal-bests for the freshman. On the boards, Maire paced the Green and White, winning the three-meter dive with a season-best 266.93 points and placing third in the one-meter with a personal-best 256.88 points. Sophomore Tristen Mina (Santa Clara, Calif./The King's Academy) also swam a lifetime-best in the 100-yard butterfly, touching the wall in 56.16.
AT BUFFALO, OCT. 26
The Eagles escaped enemy territory with a 149.5-148.5 win over Buffalo, Oct. 26. In the pool, they were led by Abby Szadorski (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East), who swept both breaststroke events, winning the 100-yard in 1:04.12, shaving one second off her previous season-fastest time (1:05.12), and the 200-yard in 2:20.13. The senior went on to improve her time in the 200-yard IM, touching the wall in 2:10.05 compared to her 2:11.32 she swam against Cleveland State, Oct. 18. On the boards, Wheeler led the team with a fourth-place outing in the one-meter dive as she posted 251.85 points in the six-dive format.
BIG SEASON-OPENING WIN
The Eagles opened the season with a 190-108 win over Cleveland State, Oct. 18. The win marked the largest margin of victory (82 points) in a season-opening victory in the Perkins Era. The win also went down as his fourth win to start a season in his six years at the helm of the program. Six Eagles won multiple events, as the team won nine of the 12 individual swimming events in the meet, and 12-of-16 total events.
ENTERING YEAR SIX UNDER PERKINS
The program is entering its sixth year under Perkins. Overall, Perkins holds a 12-19 record, and 9-10 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition. The program has seen 64 Academic All-MAC selections and four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America teams.
THE SEASON AHEAD
Eastern is set to compete in nine regular season meets in 2024-25, culminating in the MAC Championships, Feb. 26-March 1. The Eagles will attend meets in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, and Washington.
TOM GIMM – HEAD DIVING COACH
Perkins announced the hiring of Tom Gimm as the Eagles' Head Diving Coach, June 20. He brings extensive club coaching experience and has also coached in the MAC, as he served as the Head Diving Coach at Ohio University from 2016-18. Gimm most recently served as the Head Diving Coach/Director of Diving Operations for Moss Farms Diving, a junior diving powerhouse with a state-of-the-art facility in Moultrie, Ga. Most recently, his Flying Tigers placed second in the 2024 USA Diving Zone B Championships held at the Moss Farms Diving Facility. Gimm also coached high school standout Tuck Gregory to a Georgia High School Association Individual State Championship in 2024.
RETURNERS/NEWCOMERS
This year's Eagles team returns 23 letterwinners from the 2023-24 squad, and welcome nine newcomers to the team, all of which are freshmen, including Riess Estep (Smyrna, Ga./Whitefield Academy), Aisling Gutierrez (New Kent, Va./New Kent), Nehir Guven (Istanbul, Turkey/Istek Atanur Oguz Okullari), Rose Kendrick (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Megan Lupa (Campden, Ontario/West Niagara Secondary), Nehir Oz (Istanbul, Turkey/Cevre), Speier, Azra Umut (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce School), and Adley Zamore (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant).
DIVING LEADER
On the boards, the Eastern squad is led by Knapp who earned a second-place finish in the three-meter dive at the MAC Championships last season, with a score of 301.15.
MAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL
In a poll with the MAC's eight head coaches, the Eagles' team was picked to finish sixth in the MAC standings for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.
UP NEXT
Both the swim and dive portion of the Eagles' team will compete together for the first time in 2025 as they are set to host Toledo at Jones Natatorium Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m.
FOLLOW US
For the latest in EMU swimming & diving, stay tuned to EMUEagles.com, and follow the team's social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
2025 Swim & Dive MAC Championships Hype Video
Tuesday, February 25
2025 Swim & Dive Senior Extravaganza
Monday, February 10
Swim & Dive vs. Toledo Cinematic Highlights
Saturday, January 18
2024 EMU Swim & Dive Training Trip Highlights
Sunday, January 05